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Five-day-week for private sector

23 December 2010 08:23 am - 69     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The Labour and Labour Relations Ministry is in the process of introducing a five-day week for the private sector and has started discussions with the Employers and the trade Unions, Labour and Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge said.

Some 8 million private sector employees will be benefited from the implementation of the five-day week.

“If the ongoing tripartite dialogue (Employers Federation, Trade Unions and the Ministry) on the issue is concluded successfully, the government will declare a five-day-week for the private sector employees on May 1st, 2011” Minister Lokuge told Daily Mirror yesterday. (SAJ)


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  Comments - 69

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  • m b m haseeb Thursday, 23 December 2010 04:59 PM

    Vice decision by our intelligent set of donkeys

    Arun Friday, 24 December 2010 02:21 AM

    already too many holidays in Sri Lanka.... now we have a very low productivity..... not going to help the country......

    oyage podi guru Friday, 24 December 2010 02:20 AM

    I doubt the minister is acting independently.

    Zulu Friday, 24 December 2010 01:24 AM

    Do you expecting to sleep at home and earn eazy money?

    Conga.. Friday, 24 December 2010 12:22 AM

    Make Poya Days working days and take off the Saturday work to compensate for that.

    Alien Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:39 PM

    If you're so worried, go and work on holiday. who is stopping you? It's about quality of life, not just money.

    Dagobert Thursday, 23 December 2010 06:03 PM

    Excessive public holidays and on top of that a five day week.
    Appears the Minister needs more vacation time.

    Some never learn. Sell facilities to please the voter at the expense of productivity & the country.

    Prez... wake up. Induce some sense into this Minister

    Fair N Square Thursday, 23 December 2010 05:59 PM

    The COG of the country is the private sector. They are the ones who pay taxes (VAT, INCOME TAX, Customs duties, all the levy's etc) including the employees. They need to make the maximum work hours so that the more they make the more taxes they pay. In turn its them who pay for bulk of the cash flow of the country, other is by way of AID from other countries. Be realistic Mr. Minister.

    They lived long and will be gone soon BUT the young citizens will have to carry the burden of the WRONG decisions made by such OLD politicians. This is why we need YOUNG politicians who understand the current trends and be ready for the immediate future.

    Fair N Square Thursday, 23 December 2010 05:40 PM

    IF the working hours are calculated properly of the public sector, all they do is 3 days work, (1 day gossip, 1/2day eat,drink 1/2 day to groom= comb powdering etc. that sums up the 5 day week. No wonder we lag behind when all others are moving ahead. So many " MAN HOURS" are lost by the above actions. How can a country develop?

    panora Friday, 24 December 2010 03:33 AM

    I Love Sri Lanka....

    Judge Thursday, 23 December 2010 04:21 PM

    Only if it is 5 days x 40 hours (some companies do have 5 days X 9 hours officially, telling thats how employees are allowed to take Saturday off)

    Cobra Thursday, 23 December 2010 03:52 PM

    Are we going backwards now? Economic development requires more working hours/days and not more holidays. Another dreamer has come forth!!!

    bigsam Thursday, 23 December 2010 03:34 PM

    Is this the same John who said Cricket Board is very corrupt and then re-appointed the same jokers?

    dan Thursday, 23 December 2010 03:15 PM

    VERY GOOD MOVE. Money isn't everything! Please make it 8 hours per day too.

    MagodisThuma Thursday, 23 December 2010 02:56 PM

    What a stupid decision...
    Make it eight days if you really want to develop this poor country !

    Ranjith Thursday, 23 December 2010 02:21 PM

    Have we achieved the development goals \ or are we living in a fools paradise

    Ram Thursday, 23 December 2010 01:34 PM

    To hell?

    AF Thursday, 23 December 2010 01:26 PM

    His going to mass-up the labor ministry like how did in the sports ministry. First of all President should introduce new system to retire this kind of politicians.

    Aruna Friday, 24 December 2010 05:31 AM

    few days back i saw an article somewhere which says poya days not a mercantile holiday anymore from 2011 onwards. this is lollipop

    Aru Saturday, 25 December 2010 03:45 PM

    Don't you have to do anything on Saturdays and Sundays?

    banana republic Saturday, 25 December 2010 02:47 PM

    We are still a beggar country, when reach developed country status we can have all the holidays we want..till then

    Lakmal Friday, 24 December 2010 03:26 PM

    Could you please introduce a law to pay for the over time work in private sector employees.
    Specially most of the IT companies doesn't pay for over time work

    Hisham Friday, 24 December 2010 08:14 AM

    Can somone tell me the pros and cons in this 5 day week.
    In a previous job I used to work 5.5 days that is Saturday half day. Now I work 5 days a week. I like to know why it is good to have 5 days of work per week

    Rajakaruna Friday, 24 December 2010 07:13 AM

    Actually the saying that Sri lankans have more holidays is a myth. Employees in developed countries have more holidays when you add up public holidays and the vacation. They count it in months. But for Sri Lankans it's in weeks.

    Kane Friday, 24 December 2010 06:03 AM

    population will increase with proper 5 day week.

    philps Friday, 24 December 2010 05:44 AM

    ohh..cn breath freely private sector employees for two dys...

    dsas Friday, 24 December 2010 05:37 AM

    The way forward is to enable more efficient managemnt of the public service through a proper public services commission which would take care of better/ impartial recrutiments, managemnt procedures and also punishments when necessary as in the private sector. Such a thing did exist but was unfortuantely done away with and the entire public service was taken under the parliament. So the govt treats the entire govt sector as a means to give jobs to their cronies and punish opposition supporters.

    aslam Thursday, 23 December 2010 12:31 PM

    Mr.Minister Already the Government sector is non productive,don't make the private sector the same.The private sector has to bail itself out unlike the Govt sector.So hands off.

    Subha Friday, 24 December 2010 05:17 AM

    Utter rubbish . We should be moving to a 7 day work week. Sri Lanka needs to move towards a super-power.

    upul Friday, 24 December 2010 04:59 AM

    1st they must get the Govt/Bank and Mercerntile holidays all as one.

    CNJ Friday, 24 December 2010 04:40 AM

    Great idea....

    TY Friday, 24 December 2010 04:29 AM

    Almost all developed and developing countries work 5 day a week toher than the factories. Our ministers are lame ducks since most of the Mercantile sector here work on 05 day a week other than the service sector. Here too most sevice sectors have now come up with 05 day a week due less productivity and to reduce utility cost. Let it not be a rule but a decission of induvidual company. On the other hand, it will be better to scrap the ONLY Public and Bank holidays, since it makes no sence if these two institues are closed there is no biz transactions be done eg. Customs, Ministries etc.

    sobers Friday, 24 December 2010 04:36 AM

    laziest work force in the world! another record. If country needs to prosper, increase working days including school days. Dont produce lethargic citizens.

    ravi Friday, 24 December 2010 04:17 AM

    comon loku comon....

    Pawlpakse Friday, 24 December 2010 04:04 AM

    In fact we need to have 6 work days. We need to work hard to develop the country which was ruined due to the war over last 2 decades.

    With so many holidays already in our calender, how are we supposed to compete with other nations. MR can come up with ideas only to discourage business community. We went through losing GPS plus, increasing electricity charges, now short employee working days.

    Nihal Amarasekera Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:55 AM

    "VIVA" hopefully not at the expence of extended hours weekdays.

    Chandana Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:21 AM

    We have to many holidays already.

    bale Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:16 AM

    it is a good news for privat sector employees.all developed countries are using this policy. it is 40 hours in five days. employees will be motivated and give more efficient works.

    Bluff Bluff Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:20 AM

    Those who go by the fuel conservation act already work only for 5 days. There is nothing to introduce it newly.

    Bluff Bluff Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:16 AM

    Why not make it a 3 day instead. After all as you have no idea what productivity is, you can get a better popularity by it.

    Ganga772 Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:14 AM

    Would like to know the government decision on rumor about the Poya Day being removed from mercantile holiday calender

    I Hussein Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:04 AM

    Not gonna happen though its a good initiative.
    More than an extra day off first people need a stable/substantial salary.
    It look nice in a paper but if you do a proper feasibility study it will prove otherwise (how the small time businessmen going to affored this).
    We are not western europe yet, Minister Lokuge.

    Kolitha Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:00 AM

    Good Move..If we can cut the other unnecessary Holidays in the annual callendar...Be Innovative..Do the first thing First..
    Reduce the number of annual holidays to the minimum....

    Alipola Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:02 AM

    Great News! Private sector employees sometines get the short straw when it comes to holidays. Plus in SL we are a relaxed country and prefer quality of life than just more money. More time to spend with your family and kids will make a happier nation.

    wicky Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:20 AM

    Making Poya day holiday serves no purpose as we see now. It is only for the ego of extremist religious groups. Now it is difficult to cancel it. Hence the best option is to offer additional days pay when you work on Poya day and every one will opt to work then.

    Faqi Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:54 AM

    Good Move

    Sat Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:57 AM

    Good, silly to go to work for half a day on Saturday. Nothing much gets done on Saturday anyway.

    rif Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:54 AM

    ho, TO DEVELOP THE COUNTRY WE SHOULD WORK 7DAYS /WEEK , WE ARE THE BIGGEST HOLIDAYS COUNTRY IN THE WORLD , NOW WANT TO GIVE MORE?

    Konde bendapu china Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:47 AM

    Please reduce public Holidays,Srilankans have more holidays than most of the other nations

    kap Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:38 AM

    Couple of weeks back, i saw an article about excessive holidays in SL and how it was effecting the economic development. Also that the private investors are pretty reluctant to establish biz in SL due to this reason.
    Now the govt is asking the private sector for 5 day week work?

    Dakshina Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:43 AM

    Govt should make an attempt to reduce public holidays rather than trying to regulate 5 days week for private sector.
    What about the productivity Minister?

    Nadaraja Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:36 AM

    Good news, hoping those ppl again meeting back with denying the report..

    spark Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:32 AM

    Removing Poya is a very good deed. It is the buddhists who abuse this holy day most by enjoying, drinking and merry making.

    Work Hard Thursday, 23 December 2010 12:36 PM

    Most of them are lazy, useless and freebies.

    ram Thursday, 23 December 2010 12:17 PM

    YOU MEAN MONTHLY POYA DAYS ROHAN

    Yehiya-Doha Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:53 AM

    Ask to make 9 hours work shift. More profit. Save money. Company should run productivity base

    Gamini Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:52 AM

    It is going to very productive country very soon !!!

    hemantha Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:46 AM

    Hats off to Lokuge...!!!

    TMA Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:42 AM

    Didi U say developed?

    maluwa Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:41 AM

    Productivity will increase
    All humans will have 5 days to work and two days to live

    Anushka Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:41 AM

    Nice idea minister. Decrease the productivity of the private sector and bring it to the level of the government sector. You'll definitely get "Suba Anagathayak" for the country.

    Sangeeth stat Thursday, 23 December 2010 08:33 AM

    4D for Govt. sect.

    ONLOOKER Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:13 AM

    Once you allow for the holidays, how many working days are left for any useful activity.

    spark Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:15 AM

    This goes without saying, that is why we are a failure in virtually anything other than fighting.

    Gayan Jayasekera Thursday, 23 December 2010 11:02 AM

    GREAT MOVE ! KEEP IT UP !

    TMA Thursday, 23 December 2010 10:54 AM

    I really don't understand the punch line of this govt.'s jokes

    CaptainCool Thursday, 23 December 2010 10:40 AM

    We work only 10 month per calander year! Better if we could change that!

    Hasiya Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:33 AM

    If u like u can work.. But not the majority

    Lalinda Thursday, 23 December 2010 09:23 AM

    This is good. Because, Saturday is the least productive day of the week This will help save a large amount of fuel and electricity that are burnt on the road and in the office. Also, they can do some household stuff on Saturday and relax on Sunday so that they can be more efficient on Monday.


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